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Cherry: CHL should stop letting Americans and Europeans to play in CHL (merged)

The Russians never used to do it and I prefered it that way. It was more of a "you train yours, we'll train ours and then we see who's better" train of thought. There was a little bit more mystery in it. Why would Europeans be so afraid to not send their players over here anymore? Poor systems back at home? If so, that isn't Canada's problem. But Hockey Canada gets a lot of money to have Europeans come over here. Make no mistake, it is about the almighty dollar.

They go to the CHL to increase their chances of being drafted/noticed by scouts. Even then it is not like Russia has been stacking teams with CHL players, the 2011 WJC Russian side that won gold had 1 CHL player who was the back up goaltender. The 2012 and 2013 squads had five players from the CHL. The Swedish side that won gold in 2012 had 3 CHL players.

Even if we take Cherry's ridiculous rant at face value (which it does not deserve to be taken, afterall noone on the planet with the intellectual capacity higher than hockey puck should have to waste brain cells on what is essentially a stream of liquid poop coming out of Cherry's mouth) it is amazing how it fails on every logical level. Consider this gem

Quote:

"I still say the Canadian Hockey League should be for Canadians, either that or change the name.Some Canadian guy spends thousands on sticks, travel, equipment, pays his taxes and his kid is cut from the CHL for some kid who's father never contributed a cent to Canada.

Does not make any sense whatsoever since CHL is not a taxpayer funded league, CHL gets its revenues from the product on ice, CHL does not owe it to anyone to develop Canadian players (or make sure European players don't get good development as Cherry seems to want). CHL is within its rights to do whatever it deems necessary to improve the product on ice and hence improve their revenue, if it means more European players in the league then why not! To say otherwise is just insanely stupid. This is economics 101, perhaps we should all chip in to get Cherry to audit a first years economics course at the University of Toronto this winter term. And asking the CHL to change its name just shows complete idiocy and complete inability to think about a problem beyond a completely superficial level. If a product or a franchise has the word "Canada/Canadian" in it's name that does not mean or imply any sort of responsibility or even affiliation with "Canada the nation", this is not hard stuff, even third graders know this.

And consider the substance of this rant which essentially boils down to saying "we should make sure no one else in the world gets a chance to play and be coached at good level so that we can keep winning" eek what a depressing thought You might as well have a tournament involving Canada, Uganda, Nigeria, Israel and New Zealand so that Cherry can get the satisfaction

I'm not sure it's entirely that simple. It's the highest level hockey for 16-17 year olds. However I'm not sure there is enough independent evidence to support this. I am not sure there is going to be a significant difference in a player who spends two years in the CHL vs. either staying in the USHL or home in Europe. The CHL produces the best players because Canada produces the best junior players. Most of these super prospects are elite at 15 when they enter the league and the league continues their progression.

What I don't like, is, even though the US won, somehow it was Canada that enabled that win thereby default Canada gets the credit because the CHL is Canadian. USA Hockey has changed quite a bit, no longer are we picking our team two weeks before the games. It's a year long program now with constant camps and constant development. It's grown up and not thing thrown together at the last minute.

Most Canadians are intelligent enough to know that Canada did not enable the Americans to win. We understand there may be stories of influence, but that's about it. We know it's American Junior Hockey that won; case closed.

Are Canadians blind sided by the sports against our American rivals? Yes, they are. However, that's NO DIFFERENT than any other nation on earth for any other sport. The only reason this is a factor here, is because it's a hockey forum.

Whatever that is, jealousy, greed, envy, nationalism, anger..... It's not inherently Canadian to a sports fan.

I think what most upsets many about Cherry is that he is staunchly pro-Canadian and admittedly to a bit of a fault. Nothing wrong with that though. The US has more than its share of those who spout the "America, greatest country on earth" line as well. Nothing wrong with that, either, it is just an expression of pride. Canadians have been pigeonholed by others for far too long though with the overly conservative, polite Canadian image. Many of us love Cherry for exactly that he does not fit that mold. Don't like it, too bad. Where we differ is often your own view of exactly who should be expressing pride.

Cherry is correct in this case. The CHL does not exist primarily to develop Euro goalies. He knows this because he has been witness to its history.

Hasn't there been more pro-Canadian talk from Canadians in general prior to and since the Vancouver Olympics? For example before they started the Canadian Olympic Committee created the "Own The Podium" program to have Canada finish 1st in total medals. I remember NBC even joked how Canadians are always nice people, but now they wanted to be the best country back then. Plus during the TSN 2012 Year In Review show they said the #1 story was the Canadian Womens Soccer team that won Bronze at the London Olympics. Anyway in that story Brian Williams said since the Vancouver Olympics if Canada gets bad calls against them like what happened during the Canada/USA Women Semi-Final Soccer game, they aren't afraid to speak up and say they got screwed which they did and not pretend nothing happened.

He is many things, but that isn't one of them. He turned a minor hockey league career into a NHL coaching gig and then into a highly paid spot on the NHL's feature broadcast (take your shots) to say a few words.

That seems unfair and if you ask hockey parents here and have ever seen interviews from other athletes they wish it could be different. Don't you think a Canadian kid would love to play hockey and learn to pave their future at the same time. I can tell you, that your amateur to NCAA system is envious for Canadians. It's easy to talk when American 20 year kids can try another 5 years in the NCAA and see if they can mature enough to the get into the NHL.

Europeans shouldn't be allowed to come over here at all. I have disagreed with that from day one. Americans that's a different story.

What legal grounds do you have for that? And why would Americans actually be a different story? It's foreign countries, from your perspective, no matter how far away. Pretty sure there's no just reason for such a level of discrimination. Having some Canadians in the NCAA isn't remotely close to a reasoning for that type of thing, by the way. The borders are open either way, and a ton of Canadian citizens make their money as professional hockey players in European leagues.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Phil

But that is hardly the point. It makes no sense to train other countries how to play the game our way. Segregation isn't the best word for this. If they are from Sudan and can play in the NHL then let them play. But that isn't the point. If the programs in Europe are so good they wouldn't send their boys over here to be properly coached and trained. The Russians never used to do it and I prefered it that way. It was more of a "you train yours, we'll train ours and then we see who's better" train of thought. There was a little bit more mystery in it. Why would Europeans be so afraid to not send their players over here anymore? Poor systems back at home? If so, that isn't Canada's problem. But Hockey Canada gets a lot of money to have Europeans come over here. Make no mistake, it is about the almighty dollar.

Maybe, just maybe, it's as simple as all kids, whereever they are from, benefitting from the strongest competition they can get to play against at that level. It actually is that simple. Having great foreign imports improves the level of play for all the Canadian kids, which makes them better, while the imports play at the highest available junior level in the world, making them better. This is not about foreigners learning some magical Canadian way of hockey (believing that is as absurd as it is almost xenophobe...), it's just about choosing the highest level of competition. Sure, given the number of junior players that is the CHL, but the level over there simply raises due to imports, giving the overwhelming majority of Canadians in that league the advantage of facing the best competition available.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jigglysquishy

But they certainly have a right to call the CHL a Canadian only league.

I'd love to hear where they get that right from. That seems to be very unconstitutional for a first world country.

He is many things, but that isn't one of them. He turned a minor hockey league career into a NHL coaching gig and then into a highly paid spot on the NHL's feature broadcast (take your shots) to say a few words.

He just says a few words yesterday and look at what happens. He makes close to a million a year from the CBC! That means he makes 3x what his boss, Steven Harper makes. Never mind the endorsement money.

He is many things, but that isn't one of them. He turned a minor hockey league career into a NHL coaching gig and then into a highly paid spot on the NHL's feature broadcast (take your shots) to say a few words.

"Drive" and "Intelligence" are two very different things. You can be driven and achieve great success, despite not being a bright or cognitive person. You can be intelligent and achieve no success because you don't have the tenacity to survive a pool of swimming sharks.

Cherry was driven, but Cherry is not a bright man, nor a talented man. He's a shark and a scam artist, selling an illusion. Same goes to Kevin O'Leary and Ezra Levant. These men will always stay employed with followers and corporations to pay them, but do not mistake that for intelligence.

"Drive" and "Intelligence" are two very different things. You can be driven and achieve great success, despite not being a bright or cognitive person. You can be intelligent and achieve no success because you don't have the tenacity to survive a pool of swimming sharks.

Cherry was driven, but Cherry is not a bright man, nor a talented man. He's a shark and a scam artist, selling an illusion. Same goes to Kevin O'Leary and Ezra Levant. These men will always stay employed with followers and corporations to pay them, but do not mistake that for intelligence.

I guess some people are too smart to recognize that there are different types of intelligence But thanks for the lesson.

Sour grapes. Most of the players on the US team play for college teams and have grown up playing exclusively in the US. Some major US talent is produced in the CHL, but at the same time some major Canadian talent is being produced at the NCAA level, which means US taxpayer money is being spent to develop Canadian players as well. The only difference is we don't cry about it when Canada wins, we realize that being competitive in college hockey, major junior, pros or whatever means getting the best players period, regardless of nationality. Wanting to ban foreign players because tax payer money is being used to develop them is stupid and petty.

I hate to sound callous, but seriosuly, I can't wait for this guy to get put out to pasture.

So, a few Americans, (5 I think) played in the CHL. Well, guess how many Canadians go to US prep schools//NCAA for basketball and football. They should kick Andrew Wiggins out of West Virginia and tell him to go make it on his own in Nunavat. And that's to say nothing of the countless other Canadians making their way south of the border, whatever it is they are chasing.

Yes, I realise it's apples and oranges, and yes I realise this is a hockey thread, but I felt it must be said.

Without going off on a weird tangent, Don Cherry is a national embarassment, and even though I was born in, and grew up in, Montréal, I'm lucky enough to be a dual citizen. And It's people like him that make me glad that I identify with, and consider my self American first and Canadian second.

I was born in, and grew up in, Montréal, I'm lucky enough to be a dual citizen. And It's people like him that make me glad that I identify with, and consider my self American first and Canadian second.

You base your identity and personality based on the opinions of people's opinions about hockey?
That sounds sad.